


K.O.

by dementorsatemysoup



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Andrew Needs Glasses To Read Okay, At Least Neil Tries, Established Relationship, I've Accepted That As Canon Even If It's Not, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries, Post-Canon, grumpy andrew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:20:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25172266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dementorsatemysoup/pseuds/dementorsatemysoup
Summary: Andrew is injured, Neil hovers, and Kevin asks about Exy. Just a regular day at Palmetto State.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 24
Kudos: 234





	K.O.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know, folks, I just wrote this because I'm bored.

“Stop hovering.”

“Make me.”

“110%.”

“Bitch all you want, I wasn’t taken out by a 275 pound backliner running too fast to stop.”

“He barely grazed me.”

“You blacked out.”

Andrew waved an unconcerned hand, leaning against the wall as Neil unlocked the door to their dorm. He had refused help when they left the hospital, even when he stumbled a bit walking out of the entrance, and he wasn’t about to start now. Even if the wall felt really nice. He could just close his eyes for a few minutes.

“Andrew!”

He jerked awake, reaching out absentmindedly for Neil’s shoulder to steady himself, and glared at the boy in question when he gave him a smug smile. “You are fucking pushing it, Josten.”

“Oh, cry me a river,” Neil retorted and shoved the door open. “Are you okay getting to the couch or do you need my help?”

Andrew scoffed, dropping his hand from Neil’s shoulder, and headed towards the couch by himself. He slapped Kevin’s foot when he settled onto the cushions, his stomach rebelling against him when Kevin snorted awake and sat up quickly.

“The fuck?” he grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Andrew wanted to tell him he was hogging the couch, but he had a feeling if he tried opening his mouth right now tonight’s dinner was going to make a second appearance. Something nudged his arm, and he looked up to see Neil offering him the tiny trash can they used in the kitchenette.

Andrew scowled.

“You going to clean up the couch if you puke on it?” Neil shot back stubbornly.

Andrew rolled his eyes but took the trash can, setting it by his feet. Neil nodded, heading back towards the fridge, and returned with a bottle of water and the anti-nausea pills the doctor gave them.

He squinted at the label and Andrew almost offered him his reading glasses, but he decided against it. Neil pissed him off, he didn’t deserve his reading glasses.

“Are you going to be able to practice on Monday?” Kevin asked and drew back when Andrew and Neil gave him matching glares. “Jesus, I just asked. You two spend too much time around each other.” He stood up, rubbing the back of his head, and headed towards their room, muttering inaudibly under his breath.

“Alright.” Neil nodded, shaking out a pill. He offered it to Andrew, along with the water, jiggling his hand when he refused to take it.

“I can take care of myself,” Andrew said with a frown.

“Yeah, but I’m here so take the damn pill.”

“Would you?”

Neil sighed, hanging his head. “Can we not do this?”

“If this were you, would you take the pill?”

“I mean, probably. If you were offering then yeah.” He shook his hand again. “Can you just take this for me?”

Andrew sighed but reached up, letting Neil drop the pill into his hand. He popped it into his mouth, cracking the water open and taking a swig, and tilted his head back to get the pill to slide down his throat.

“Was that so hard?” Neil tossed the rest of the medication onto the counter, snorting with Andrew flipped him off. “That’s mature.”

“Bite me, Neil.”

“Maybe later.”

Neil hovered over Andrew, fidgeting and chewing on his bottom lip. He looked like he wanted to say something, but the words kept getting caught in his throat. Andrew gave him ten seconds before he sighed and said, “Spit it out.”

“I thought he killed you,” Neil admitted, looking down at his feet. “When he slammed into you, I swear I heard your head hit the goal and I was on the other end of the field.”

“Okay, Mister Bionic Ears.”

“Andrew...”

“Look, Josten I went to the hospital because you insisted. I let the damn doctor poke and prod at me because you asked. I did the scans and I was given a relatively clean bill of health all because of you.”

“I know.”

“I’m not dying,” Andrew said deadpan. “I just want to go to sleep, and I can’t do that if you’re standing over me.”

“Okay.” Neil shuffled his feet for a few more seconds before sighing and saying, “I’ll just leave you alone.”

“I never said that,” Andrew grumbled testily.

“Then what do you want?”

He gestured to the spot next to him, waiting for Neil to get the hint. It took a few tense seconds before Neil warily settled down onto the couch next to Andrew. He sat stiffly, hands curled into fists in his lap, and he kept staring at Andrew like he was going to collapse at any moment.

With a frustrated breath, Andrew said, “Yes or no?”

“What?”

“Yes or no?”

He hesitated for a second before saying, “Yes.”

Andrew grabbed his right hand, uncurling his fingers and pressing them to the side of his neck. His pulse beat steadily against Neil’s fingers, a reminder that he was still alive.

“I get you’re not dying,” Neil snapped curling his fingers around Andrew’s neck. He brought his other hand up, fingers hovering over the purple bruise around his eye. “I just...” he drew in a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

Andrew narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t _do_ this.”

“Not for...” He cupped Andrew’s cheek, leaning forward until his hair brushes Andrew's forehead. “Is this how you feel? When I get hurt? Does it feel like you’ve been stabbed in the chest repeatedly?”

“Neil...”

“No, listen. You’re right, I deflect and I hide how I’m feeling, and I’m trying to be better about that, but I watched that guy plow into you, full speed, and you didn’t get back up right away. _You_ didn’t get back up, and it reminded me that...” he sighed. “It reminded me that we’re not invincible, Andrew. None of us are, and one day one of us is going to get hit and we’re not going to get back up.”

Andrew was silent for a beat, stomach twisting in a way that had nothing to do with his concussion. He scoffed and said, “It took _me_ getting knocked down for you to come to that realization.”

“I mean yeah...”

“Oh my god.” He shook his head, shrugging off Neil’s hands. His head hurt, he was tired, and he just wanted to go to sleep. He laid down, carefully moving around until his head was in Neil’s lap, and said, “Don’t talk to me for the rest of the night.”

“Andrew...”

“Shh.”

Neil hesitated for a moment before burying his fingers into Andrew’s hair. For a while neither one said a word, but Neil broke the silence by saying, “Yes or no?”

“I thought I said don’t talk to me.”

“I know, but yes or no?”

Andrew almost said no, but he was intrigued enough to nod.

Neil nodded back and leaned over, gently kissing the bruise on Andrew’s head. He sat up again, twirling a piece of Andrew’s hair around his finger, leaning his head back into the cushions and staring at the blank TV screen.

Andrew huffed. “144%.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and drop me a comment if you have the time :)


End file.
